The Journey begins: A look back at #ClimateJourney17’s first week

As the Journey enters its second week, its time to take a look back at what the students were up to in week one!

More than 300 students are beginning to embark on Europe’s largest climate change education programme – the Climate-KIC summer school.

The course will offer a unique combination of academic study and real-world business experience with the aim of creating the climate change leaders of tomorrow.

Encompassing 18 locations across Europe, this year’s programme is Climate-KIC’s largest summer school and is divided into eight separate groups. Students from each group will journey across three different European locations, gaining insight and experience from a selection of Europe’s best universities and most innovative businesses. It brings together students and young professionals all over the world. 

The programme culminates in a challenge where students pitch their ideas for solutions to real-world climate related issues. Based on their own creativity and climate change knowledge, students must present a detailed business plan to a judging panel consisting of venture capitalists, start-up entrepreneurs and scientists. 

This year will also be the second year running of the shorter three-week long summer schools which will journey to two locations before meeting in Sofia, Bulgaria to pitch their business idea.

The first week

The first six out of eight summer schools have already completed their first week’s of the Journey. Journey 1 kicks off 2017’s programme in Cyprus and is the first of our three-week long summer schools ending in Sofia, Bulgaria for their finals. Meeting Journey 1 in Sofia for the pitching finals in Journey 2 who kick off their three-week programme in Budapest, Hungary. 

The first of our five-week long summer schools (Journey stream 3) began in Bologna, before heading to Munich and Helsinki for their finals. Joining Journey 3 in Helsinki for the pitching finals is Journey 4 who are starting in the Netherlands before seeing what Trondheim has to offer.

Kick-starting their programme in Copenhagen is Journey 5 who are heading to their finals in Wroclaw via Zurich. And finally joining Journey 5 in Wroclaw for their finals in Journey 6 who are starting in sunny Lisbon and Valencia. 

During the first two weeks the course focuses on providing students with information about climate change. The students attend lectures by some of the best global researchers and will meet with a variety of world-leading private companies and independent start-ups to learn about business opportunities deriving from climate change challenges.

Nicosia International Airport

The Journey students in Cyprus visited the deserted Nicosia International Airport in the UN-administered Buffer zone.  The area has been deserted since the Turkish invasion and are considered high priority site for potential post-conflict sustainable development.

Visit to the Carlsberg factory

Journey students in Copenhagen visited the Carlsberg factory last week to hear from Carlsberg’s CSR/Sustainability professional, Simon Hoffmeyer Boas, talk about their new sustainable fibre bottles. 

Pleased to host the next gen of #climateleaders from @CKICNordic today. Here’s @Simonhboas talking Together #TowardsZERO #climatejourney17 pic.twitter.com/Di799xiPkL

— Carlsberg Group (@CarlsbergGroup) 7 July 2017

Floating Forest

Meanwhile the Journey students in the Netherlands took a trip to see the Floating Forest in Rotterdam!

Floating economy @rotterdam #gj4 with a #floatingforest #climatejourney17 pic.twitter.com/IW51Wu8kCj

— Gareth Wakeling (@gareth_wakeling) July 6, 2017

Hear from the students

A selection of Journey students have been sharing their experiences of the first few weeks of the summer schools through blogs and vlog stories. 

Check our Francisco’s vlog from his Journey 4 adventures. During this clip he is visiting an urban rooftop farm in the Hague. 

Social media

#ClimateJourney17 has been making waves across social media this week – you’ll find a selection below.